LONDON/NEW YORK (Reuters) - Cost-cutting helped NYSE Euronext beat earnings expectations, and the transatlantic exchange operator announced the sale of a big stake in its U.S. derivatives exchange. The parent company of the New York Stock Exchange said underlying costs dropped 10 percent in the third quarter and forecast that expenses this year would be considerably below its previous estimate. Analysts said the European launch of NYSE Liffe Clearing helped drive third-quarter earnings, despite an overall trading volume drop and lower cash equities market share. "Recent results have been a step in the right direction as management continues to realize synergies and control expenses," Credit Suisse analysts said in a research note. NYSE Euronext said it was selling the stake in NYSE Liffe U.S. to Goldman Sachs , Morgan Stanley , UBS AG , hedge fund Citadel Securities, and Getco, the big electronic maker, to accelerate the growth of its U.S. futures exchange. The bourse will remain the biggest shareholder of the U.S. part of NYSE Liffe, which offers trading on gold and silver futures and equity indexes, and plans to expand into U.S. interest rates.

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